Sonequa Martin-Green is the kind of actress who completely disappears into her character. And I don’t mean in the same way that men like Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey do method acting. Martin-Green encapsulates her character and makes us feel every second of their journey as if they were our own. And that’s especially true in the comedy drama My Dead Friend Zoe. Starring alongside Natalie Morales it tells the story of Merit (Martin-Green), a woman struggling with the death of her best friend Zoe (Morales) after an incident while they were serving together in the military.
Right off the bat, I share Merit’s conflict with the military. I do agree that it’s imperial stormtroopers in modern-day colonialism. At the same time I understand why she feels pride for certain aspects of her military service and what it meant to her family growing up. It left a permanent mark on her life as a child and then after serving, Zoe’s death left another mark on her. But the movie was very clever in the way that it revealed the way Zoe died. And the hallucination that Merit was seeing of Zoe was her trauma manifesting itself in an unexpected way.
***MAJOR SPOILER WARNING: I talk about the twist after this point. Please stop here if you want to enjoy the movie spoiler free.***
My Dead Friend Zoe made us think that Zoe died after being shot down by some nameless soldier on the opposite side of things in Afghanistan. And you saw Merit try to grapple with whatever happened there to a degree that felt kind of familiar. Like we’ve watched this TV show or movie. We’ve seen the trauma of what happens in war zones. But we don’t see enough of what comes after. Because Zoe Afghanistan. Zoe died back home. And it was due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound while Merit was away in school, making a life for herself post-military service. That’s the guilt that Merit carries. The guilt that she feels like she should have done more. So she punishes herself with a version of Zoe that reminds her of that guilt.
There was something sweet about Zoe in the beginning of My Dead Friend Zoe. They sang songs together and goofed off. But as the movie kept going there was this underlying tension that turned raw and angry. And as a viewer, I could see that same shift from happy to angry with the hallucination of Zoe. Because she was literally stepping in Merit’s way. She was jealous, confrontational, and I feared for a second that she was an actual ghost or manifestation that could reach into our world. But it was Merit punishing herself. Because if there’s anybody who is our worst critic, it’s ourselves. Zoe wouldn’t treat Merit this way. And it’s that realization that finally pulled Merit out of this guilt. Or on a road to figuring out her guilt.
My Dead Friend Zoe, there were multiple moments between Martin-Green and Morales that were dialogue heavy. Nothing else was happening. They were just talking to each other. But everything around them worked so well in building up these two characters’ stories that when the acting came onto the scene, I couldn’t look away. In 2025, it takes a lot to get me to sit down and pay attention. But I did. I paid attention when Zoe and Merit were having that argument about reenlisting in Afghanistan and Zoe stepped out into the darkness with a glow stick. I also paid attention when Merit came back from a date with a really handsome and considerate man and was confronted by Zoe. And I paid attention when Merit finally realized the real Zoe wouldn’t treat her like this.
Ultimately, My Dead Friend Zoe isn’t a movie about the military. It’s a movie about guilt and how we punish ourselves. It’s also a movie about what comes after you lose someone and you don’t know who you are without them. And it’s also a movie about checking in with your loved ones. Because taking one’s life doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s little drops in a bucket that eventually overflow. It’s pain and loneliness. And it’s also about not knowing how to ask for help or maybe even knowing that you need it. So check in with your loved ones. And if you yourself are experiencing a moment like Zoe did, know that there is help. Know that there are people that will miss you. And know that there are people that will sit with you and hold your hand to try to figure this out.
My Dead Friend Zoe is now playing in theaters.
I am hoping to see this unique wonderful movie before or after it goes streaming. On behalf of future viewers, your otherwise well written review was ruined by including a major spoiler. Unnecessary.
Thank you for pointing this out. It is in theaters already. But a major spoiler warning is something I should absolutely have for the twist just in case. Adding it now.